Cameras will role on the Irish leg of filming for the fourth instalment in Astérix and Obélix franchise, ‘Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia’ on August 15th.
The successful French Franchise, which has an estimated €50 million budget, will be filming in Drogheda, locations all around Wicklow, Meath and in the limestone plateau of The Burren, Co.Clare. ‘Astérix and Obélix: God Save Britannia’ will film for five weeks in Ireland. It will be the first 3D live action feature to be filmed in Ireland and will be shot on 3D digital.
Irish co-producers Octagon commented on the production saying “Octagon are delighted that this major independent film, being led by Fidelite Films France, has chosen to shoot for almost five weeks in Ireland. We are pleased to be working with Fidelite Films for the third time, and anticipate that this, the fourth instalment of the Astérix Franchise, will prove to be another hit. Fidelite is well accustomed to the talented Irish crews and we hope that the various locations entice further productions to Ireland.”
Co-written and directed by Laurent Tirard (Little Nicholas), the French language film will see actors Edouard Baer (Moliére) and Gérard Depardieu (Cyrano de Bergerac) play the title characters of Astérix and Obélix respectively. Fabrice Luchini will play Julius Ceasar and Catherine Deneuve (Indochine) as Queen of England. The film is a broad adaptation of Rene Goscinny and Albert Uderzo’s 1966, and is co-writted by Grefoire Vigneron.
The film is a Fidelite Films and Octagon Films co-production, with James Flynn producing the Irish arm of the production. The movie is due to be released in France in 2012.
